Cutting tools having edge-on mounted inserts are known. Such a tool is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,440 to Schmidt. As shown in '440, a single cutting insert is mounted edge-on on a front end of a blade. When performing parting or slotting operations with such a tool, the width of the slot is limited to the width of the operative cutting edge of the cutting insert.
Another tool having edge-on mounted inserts is shown in Japanese Publication Number 06262422 A to Naoaki. As shown in FIG. 6 of '422, the cutting inserts are alternatingly arranged on the periphery of a disc body. The described arrangement enables overlapping of the operative cutting edges of succeeding cutting inserts for obtaining a wider slot than can be obtained by a single cutting insert.
Such a tool suffers from the disadvantage that if an insert pocket breaks due to a breakage of a cutting insert than it is necessary to replace the entire disc body. Furthermore, in such a tool, the cutting diameter is fixed and depends on the diameter of the disc body. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cutting tool that significantly reduces or overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cutting tool to part a fixed pipe by cutting around it without being limited by the diameter of the pipe.